變異的性行為

性少數: 7. 易性癖者

歷史記載 2

數個世紀以來，歐洲和美國的偏離傳統性別角色者遭受過所有形式的社會歧視。最終，性學研究和改進的外科技術從總體上扭轉了整個的歧視局面。人們開始區別對待性別問題了，而且提出各種解決之道。

馬格拉斯·赫希菲爾德撰造了術語“易裝癖(transvestism)”和“易性癖(transsexualism)”，並於1920至1930年代早期是第一批性別指派（sex reassignment ）外科手術嘗試中的顧問，不過，直到20世紀中葉，公眾才逐漸意識到易性癖現象。

1951年，一位名叫喬治·威廉的美國年輕士兵去了丹麥，而且一年後返回美國時成了有魅力的女人：克裏斯婷·喬治森（Christine Jorgensen）。儘管他不是第一個經歷一系列“變性（sex change）”者，但是他給我們呈現了一個生動而成功的性別指派手術案例。追尋她的案例所進行的世界範圍的報導效果，使喬治森能夠成為一名藝人。不過，最重要的是，隨著她成為她這種案例的代言人，隨著她成為公眾持續的關注焦點，她的確極大地增強了公眾對易性癖的認識，並通過這種方式，（在演藝界）取得了相當大的成功。

最近數十年裏，激素療法和外科技術已經得以改善和優化，以至於許許多多的易性癖者已經能夠從男變成女，反之亦然。此外，許多國家已經使它們的民法適應了現代的需要，並且現在准許個人檔案（出生證、身份證和護照等等）做必要的改變。但是，這些改變決不會就解決了所有的問題，因而，對於易性癖者來說，需要組織起有所依靠的組織，需要不斷地教育社會大眾，而且需要為進一步的法律改革遊說立法者。

克裏斯婷·喬治森（Christine Jorgensen，1926 –1989）

曾經是成為國際名人的第一個易性癖者。左：報紙頭條。右：她舞臺演出的報紙廣告。

Christine Jorgensen (1926 –1989) was the first transsexual to become an international celebrity.
Left: Newspaper headline. Right: Newspaper ad for her stage show.

Variations in Sexual Behavior

Sexual Minorities: 7. Transsexuals

Historical Notes 2

For centuries, Europeans and Americans who deviated from the traditional gender roles suffered all kinds of discrimination. Finally, sexological research and improved surgical techniques reframed the entire issue. One began to distinguish between different gender problems and to offer different solutions.
Magnus Hirschfeld who had coined the terms “transvestism” and “transsexualism”, acted as an advisor in the first attempts at sex reassignment surgery in the 1920’s and early 1930’s. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that the general public became aware of the phenomenon.
In 1951, a young American soldier by the name of George William Jorgensen went to Denmark and returned one year later as attractive woman: Christine Jorgensen. While he was not the first to undergo a series of “sex change” operations, he presented a dramatic and successful example. The world-wide publicity following her case enabled Jorgensen to to pursue a career as an entertainer. Most immortally, however, by becoming a spokesperson for her cause and remaining in the limelight, she did much to raise the public consciousness about transsexualism, and in this she succeeded to a considerable extent.
In recent decades, hormonal treatments and surgical techniques have been improved and refined, so that a great many transsexuals have been able to make a transition from male to female or vice versa. Moreover, many countries have modernized their civil laws and now allow the necessary changes in personal documents (birth certificates, ID cards, passports etc.) However, by no means all problems have been solved, and thus it is still necessary for transsexuals to form support groups, to continue educating the public, and to lobby legislatures for additional reforms.